The present invention relates generally to child restraint and safety devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to child restraint and safety (CRS) devices, such as child car seats and booster seats.
In the prior art, child safety restraints, such as those for use in a vehicle are very well known in the art. Such restraints are secured to an existing vehicle car seat. The child is then secured to the restraint to secure the child during travel. These prior art restraints are typically in the form of a booster seat or a child car seat. A booster seat is commonly known as a seat that attached to an existing vehicle seat where the seat uses the existing belt restraint system of the vehicle. Such a booster seat is commonly used for older children. Also, a child restraint may be in the form of a child car seat which is secured itself directly to the vehicle, such as by the car's seat belt system or directly to the frame of the vehicle using hooks, and other attachment mechanisms and systems.
Many countries around the world have standardized how a child car seat is to be secured to a vehicle seat to improve the overall safety of children's car seats in vehicles. More specifically, a system called Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) includes two lower anchor attachments and a top tether. The term is often used generically to refer only to the pair of fixed lower loop shaped anchors built into the bight or crack between the seat back and seat cushion. FIG. 1 shows such a prior art anchor system 10 with a lower loop 12, typically made of metal, which are specifically designed for children's car seat installation. The loop 12 typically emanates between the vehicle seat back 14 and the seat bottom 16, collectively referred to as the vehicle seat 18. A female seat buckle 15 can also be seen in FIG. 1, which is not used as part of a LATCH interconnection of a child seat (not shown in FIG. 1). When used, existing seatbelts are no longer necessary to connected to a buckle 15 to install the car seat because the child car seat is mounted directly to the vehicle via the metal loops 12 using webbing or a “rigid” connector. For example, the loops 12 extend down and connect directly to the chassis of the vehicle. This construction is so well known in the art that it need not be discussed in further detail herein. Also, one loop 12 is shown in the figures but it should be understood that multiple loops are typically employed in a LATCH or other type of anchorage system.
This makes it easier to install car seats safely, and to make it more universal among car seats and vehicles. Compatible corresponding LATCH coupling systems are now commonly found on child car seat bases, rear-facing, front-facing and combination booster seats and those that have an internal harness.
The LATCH system was originally called ISOFIX, which is a term still used in Europe. Canada, employs a similar standard called the Universal Anchorage System (UAS). It has also been called the Universal Child Safety Seat System or UCSSS. All of foregoing systems refer to the same universal anchorages 12 that started to appear on car models starting in about the year 2000. These are now required by law in the United States for almost all model year 2003 and later vehicles.
As seen in FIG. 2, a child car seat, generally referenced as 19, is secured directly to the loop 12 of a LATCH system by use of webbing 20 included with the child car seat 19. The webbing 20 is routed through the loop 12 of the LATCH system and then tensioned to tightly tether the child car seat 19 to the vehicle car seat 18. One or more LATCH loops 12 can be used to respectively tether one or more points or locations of the child car seat 18 in place. Looped tensioned webbing 20 through a LATCH loop 12 is undesirable because it must be threaded through the LATCH loop 12. As an alternative, rigid interconnects can be used, as will be discussed in detail below.
More preferably, a coupling 40 is employed to releasably interconnect the free webbing attached to the child car seat to the LATCH loop(s) 12. This facilitates and speeds up the installation of a child car seat 19 to the LATCH loops 12. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a lower anchor coupling 40 that is known in the art for this purpose. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the coupling 40 includes a closed loop 42, that defines a aperture 44, such as a slot, to receive the webbing that is attached to the child car seat. Details of such webbing 20 and the tensioning thereof need not be discussed in further detail herein because they are so well known in the art. It should also be understood that the prior art coupling may use a rigid member (not shown) that is affixed directly to a vehicle seat 18 to avoid the use of webbing 20. Similarly, as below, the present invention may also employ a rigid connection member (not shown) rather than a loop and aperture that receives webbing routed from and connected to the child car seat 19.
More specifically, the prior art coupling 40 includes an outer housing 46 with a button 48 that is interconnected to locking pawl 50 in the open side can be disengaged by actuation of the button 48. The locking pawl 50 is spring-biased to a closed position. Preferably, the open side of the coupling 40, with webbing 20 attached to the opposite side thereof, is pressed over the LATCH loop to temporarily open the pawl 50 so that the LATCH loop 12 is captured by the pawl 50. To release the LATCH loop 12 from the locking pawl 50, the button 48 is actuated so the coupling 40 can be disconnected to free the child car seat 19 from the LATCH system of the vehicle.
While the prior art lower anchor coupling is useful in many respects, it suffers from many disadvantages. These couplings were only designed for use with lower weight children, for example, 48 lbs or less. There is a need for coupling that can accommodate higher weight children because there is a trend in car seat design to provide children's car seats for higher weight children.
The primary problem associated with the prior art coupling 40 of FIGS. 3 and 4 is that it is not designed for these increased loads. The actual internal operating mechanism itself is not robust enough to take the loads of a higher weight occupant in a child car seat 19. Also, the design of this prior art coupling 40 suffers from an off-center webbing connector loop 42 which results in uneven/asymmetrical loads to the coupling 40, which reduces the structural integrity of the coupling 40 and the entire child car seat installation. Also, the location and direction of travel of the release button 48 of this prior art coupling 40 is cumbersome and difficult to use. The locking pawl 50 of this prior art device is only a single piece of steel, resulting in a relatively small bearing and support area. This limits the overall strength and integrity of the coupling 40. In summary, the prior art lower anchor coupling 40 of FIGS. 3 and 4 is inadequate for securing child car seats 19 with large loads, such as child car seats with larger children seated therein.
Still further, the prior art coupling 40, as with other prior art couplings, suffers from the disadvantage of disconnecting if any of the springs fail within the device. For example, pawl 50 is spring-biased to a normally closed condition, as seen in FIG. 4. If the spring that retains pawl 50 in this condition fails, the pawl 50 would open thereby permitting the loop 12 of the LATCH system to separate from the child seat 19 creating a safety issue.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved coupling for LATCH systems that can tether webbing, which is attached to a child car seat, to a loop of a LATCH system of a vehicle. There is a need for a coupling that has the strength and integrity to secure child car seats with larger loads therein, such as children that weigh over 48 pounds. There is a further needs for a LATCH coupling that is easy to use, namely, one that is easy to install and disconnect. There is yet a further safety problem that if any of the springs fail in a typical prior art coupling, the entire device will be unable to maintain a safe connection between the child seat 19 and the vehicle seat 18.